Overview
The 2022 Porsche Taycan sedan isn’t the perfect electric vehicle, but its combination of driving verve and performance stamina make it the most engaging one. With a striking appearance as well as a highly customizable and high-tech interior, Porsche’s electrified four-door lives up to its premium pricing. The Taycan also does a remarkable job of reminding its pilot that they’re driving Porsche thanks to its lively steering, stoic composure, and refined ride. Stomping the accelerator is like firing a missile, except it can be done repeatedly. While its brakes are great at corralling that quickness, they lack the regenerative properties of traditional EVs and the pedal has a passive feel. There will always be comparisons to the Tesla Model S, especially with Porsche’s comparatively short estimated range, but the 2022 Taycan is unquestionably the more thrilling alternative.
What’s New for 2022?
For 2022, Porsche makes some tweaks to the Taycan lineup. The infotainment system adds enhanced voice commands, an improved operating system. The Taycan can also now be parked remotely via a smartphone, meaning no one actually needs to be behind the wheel. The paint palette expands, too, courtesy of Porsche’s “Paint to Sample” program that allows customers to select personal colors, including those from classic ’90s models. The ’22 Taycan also benefits from better thermal management and charging functions, which Porsche says aim to reduce charging times.
Pricing and Which One to Buy
While the Taycan Turbo and Turbo S offer performance that’s on par with supercars, we’d recommend the more affordable all-wheel-drive Taycan 4S. The 4S comes with a 522-hp powertrain, 19-inch wheels, an adaptive air suspension, a partial leather interior, and a keyless entry. To keep the cost in check, we’d skip all of Porsche’s many personalization options, but we would upgrade to the Performance Battery Plus, which increases the size of the pack and ups the combined horsepower rating to 562. The Performance package is also a must as it makes the Taycan more entertaining to drive: The rear-axle steering and torque vectoring improve agility, the Sport Plus drive mode optimizes performance, and the active anti-roll bars aid stability. We’d also recommend taking advantage of the Porsche Experience Center. For $395, you will be receiving coaching and track time in your new Porsche. If you don’t live in those areas, you can travel and book time in one of Porsche’s vehicles instead. Prices for those experiences range from as low as $400 to as high as $900 depending on location and model.
Engine, Transmission, and Performance
Most Taycan models feature dual electric motors, with one powering the front wheels and the other powering the rears. They produce separate outputs that vary by trim level. The 4S generates 522 horsepower with the smaller battery and 562 horses with the bigger one. The latter comes standard on the top models, the 670-hp Turbo and the 750-hp Turbo S. The base model makes between 402 and 469 hp, depending on the battery size, but it’s rear-wheel-drive only. All Taycan models also have an innovative two-speed transmission that provides a thrilling shift during hard acceleration. We’ve driven the Taycan 4S and were impressed by its prompt acceleration (hitting 60 mph in 3.4 seconds) as well as its point-and-shoot handling. However, we wish it had a more responsive brake pedal, especially since Porsche chose to forgo one-pedal driving. Those with a serious need for speed will be blown away by the Turbo S’s rocket-ship takeoffs. The version we tested hit 60 mph in just 2.4 ticks and cleared the quarter-mile in 10.5 seconds at 130 mph. A Model S Performance with Cheetah mode matched that blast to 60 mph.